I02 



WATER RAT. Clafs I. 



countries is eaten •, M. Buffon informing us that the 

 peafants in Francs eat it on maigre days. 



It iwims and dives admirably well, and continues 

 long under water, though the toes are divided like 

 thofe of the common rati not conneded by mem- 

 branes, as Mr. Ray imagined j and as Linnaeus, and 

 otiier writers, relate after him. 



The male weighs about nine ounces -, the length 

 feven inches from the end of the nofe to the tail ; the 

 tail five inches : on each foot are live toes, the inner 

 toe of the fore-foot is very nnaH ; the firft joint of the 

 latter is very flexible, which muft affiit it greatly in 

 fwimming, and forming its retreat. The head is 

 large, the ears fmall, and fcarce appear through the 

 hair : the nofe blunt, and the eyes little : the teeth 

 large, flrong, and yellow : the head and body are 

 covered with thick and pretty long hairs, chiefly 

 black ; but mixed with fome of a reddifh hue : the 

 belly is of an iron-grey : the tail is covered v/ith fhorE 

 black hairs, the tip of it with white hairs. 



A female that we opened had fix young ones ia 

 it. 



Species 



